U.S. Reports Record Coronavirus Infections

The record comes as some experts criticize the CDC’s new isolation and quarantine guidance.

A single-day record 441,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in the U.S. on Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a massive jump from the previous daily record of nearly 300,000 cases reported in early January.

Reporting tends to lag after weekends and holidays, so it’s possible the newly reported cases don’t show the whole picture. Many people are also relying on rapid at-home tests, the results of which do not get automatically reported to health departments like PCR tests do.

The seven-day daily average of new cases is nearing an all-time high, according to CDC data. Some other databases, like one at The New York Times, show the U.S. has already reached a new record of an average of over 260,000 infections reported each day.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Wednesday said the rapid increase in cases is in large part due to the highly transmissible omicron variant.

“In a few short weeks omicron has rapidly increased across the country, and we expect it will continue to circulate in the coming weeks,” Walensky said during a press briefing.

Monday’s new case record came the same day the CDC reduced its recommended isolation from 10 days to five days for people who have no symptoms or whose symptoms are resolving, prompting criticism from some experts.